Tag Archives: politics

It has been a busy few weeks here at newsofthetimes, between Thanksgiving visitors and a conference I planned for work. We also had to respond to a media blitz in my day job that took up quite a bit of time and energy. This is why I haven’t really had the opportunity to do much more here than Tunes Tuesday posts and photo challenge posts over the past several weeks.

I haven’t had a moment to think much about, much less write about, the election results. But an article in the New York Times caught my eye today and gave me a moment to think about the meaning of the November 6th election results.

I made it clear that I supported Obama in the election, which I am sure, came as no surprise to people who have followed this blog. So, I was obviously pleased with the outcome of the Presidential race.

But I feel even more optimistic about the future of the country because of the results of the statewide initiatives.

While I recognize that the election was close and that there is no grand majority on either side of the political divide right now in terms of political candidates, I feel hopeful that voters chose to stand up for equality and fairness on November 6th.

Copyright JC Politi Photography

I am hopeful that voters in more than one state voted to support GLBT communities in their quest for marriage equality.I am hopeful that President Obama won the presidential race despite the fact that he was clear about his intentions to ask the wealthy to pay more in taxes. Some may not call this an issue of equality, but I think that the obscene increase in CEO pay compared to workers’ pay makes this unquestionably an issue of basic fairness.

I am hopeful that the country appears to be headed toward a more equal and just society. The American people seem to hold a fundamental belief in the basic principle of equality and fairness.

Regardless of political party, I believe the American people will always choose to stand for the principles of fairness and equal opportunity when given the choice. And that makes me hopeful.

Am I wearing rose colored glasses? Perhaps. Have I been burned in the past for feeling so hopeful? Absolutely. But today, I am choosing to feel hopeful.

Let me be clear – I have no illusions that getting through the fiscal cliff and debt ceiling debates will not be as difficult as ever. I know Congress will not magically become a high functioning body as a result of these elections.

But I believe that that people resoundingly chose equality and fairness on November 6th, and for that I am hopeful.

What do you think? Should I take off my rose-colored glasses? Do you see any reasons for hope from the November election or do you feel like the gridlock will continue in Washington? What did you take away from the election as lessons or important trends?

It’s finally Election Day!! I know that many of us are ready for the political ads and phone calls to stop – I am too. But today is election day and every vote matters.

It looks like it might be difficult to vote this year in some areas, which I think is outrageous. But I hope people do what they need to do to vote and that we have a clean and clear outcome at the end of the day.

Elections matter. And there is a lot at stake.

We Can’t Make it Here
James McMurtry

Vietnam Vet with a cardboard sign
Sitting there by the left turn line
Flag on the wheelchair flapping in the breeze
One leg missing, both hands free

No one’s paying much mind to him
The V.A. budget’s stretched so thin
And there’s more comin’ home from the Mideast war
We can’t make it here anymore

That big ol’ building was the textile mill
It fed our kids and it paid our bills
But they turned us out and they closed the doors
We can’t make it here anymore

See all those pallets piled up on the loading dock
They’re just gonna set there till they rot
‘Cause there’s nothing to ship, nothing to pack
Just busted concrete and rusted tracks
Empty storefronts around the square
There’s a needle in the gutter and glass everywhere
You don’t come down here ‘less you’re looking to score
We can’t make it here anymore

The bar’s still open but man it’s slow
The tip jar’s light and the register’s low
The bartender don’t have much to say
The regular crowd gets thinner each day

Some have maxed out all their credit cards
Some are working two jobs and living in cars
Minimum wage won’t pay for a roof, won’t pay for a drink
If you gotta have proof just try it yourself Mr. CEO
See how far 5.15 an hour will go
Take a part time job at one of your stores
Bet you can’t make it here anymore

High school girl with a bourgeois dream
Just like the pictures in the magazine
She found on the floor of the laundromat
A woman with kids can forget all that
If she comes up pregnant what’ll she do
Forget the career, forget about school
Can she live on faith? live on hope?
High on Jesus or hooked on dope
When it’s way too late to just say no
You can’t make it here anymore

Now I’m stocking shirts in the Wal-Mart store
Just like the ones we made before
‘Cept this one came from Singapore
I guess we can’t make it here anymore

Should I hate a people for the shade of their skin
Or the shape of their eyes or the shape I’m in
Should I hate ’em for having our jobs today
No I hate the men sent the jobs away
I can see them all now, they haunt my dreams
All lily white and squeaky clean
They’ve never known want, they’ll never know need
Their sh@# don’t stink and their kids won’t bleed
Their kids won’t bleed in the da$% little war
And we can’t make it here anymore

Will work for food
Will die for oil
Will kill for power and to us the spoils
The billionaires get to pay less tax
The working poor get to fall through the cracks
Let ’em eat jellybeans let ’em eat cake
Let ’em eat sh$%, whatever it takes
They can join the Air Force, or join the Corps
If they can’t make it here anymore

And that’s how it is
That’s what we got
If the president wants to admit it or not
You can read it in the paper
Read it on the wall
Hear it on the wind
If you’re listening at all
Get out of that limo
Look us in the eye
Call us on the cell phone
Tell us all why

In Dayton, Ohio
Or Portland, Maine
Or a cotton gin out on the great high plains
That’s done closed down along with the school
And the hospital and the swimming pool
Dust devils dance in the noonday heat
There’s rats in the alley
And trash in the street
Gang graffiti on a boxcar door
We can’t make it here anymore

What do you think? Have you voted? Did you have any problems voting? What do you think about the early voting challenges this year?

I am not going to presume to tell anyone how they should vote next Tuesday on this blog. We all choose to vote for one candidate or another for a wide variety of reasons. I see no problem with diverse points of view and perspectives – in fact, I strongly believe this diversity leads to the best long-term outcomes for the country.

But I am baffled by the latest campaign strategy coming out of the Romney/Ryan campaign. Romney made an incorrect statement at one of his campaign rallies. He said that Chrysler was going to ship their Jeep manufacturing jobs to China. The company came out with a strongly worded statement that it has no such plans.

Romney made this statement in Ohio, to people who would be deeply impacted if this claim were true.

This was an incorrect statement. But the people at that rally, and others who heard this statement, now have renewed worries that their jobs are for sale to the highest bidder. Despite the fact that the company’s statement makes it clear that this is not the case.

There have been editorials in newspapers all over the country, including in the New York Times and the Denver Post about this issue.

People misspeak, especially at this point in a political campaign – I get that. But I am unclear why the campaign has not corrected the message – in fact the campaign has developed new ads further perpetuating this myth.

It’s no secret that I am voting for Obama in this election. I believe that his cool, steady leadership is what the country needs right now to help steer us out of the quagmire left by the banks. But even if we were not in a critically important time in our economic recovery, Romney’s actions on this particular issue would trouble me.

I believe that facts matter and that character matters in our President. Consistency matters. Truth matters. And the country is in a fragile state of economic recovery right now. I do not want to change captains just as we can see the distant horizon.

Copyright JC Politi Photography

Again, I am not telling anyone how to vote. I am simply laying out my thoughts and concerns. I don’t try to change anyone’s mind at this point in an election cycle – in fact, I rarely try to change anyone’s mind about who they plan to vote for because I think it is generally a futile exercise. And I am very open to hearing other perspectives.

Maybe it is my rose-colored glasses, but I truly believe that both parties want to do the right thing for this country and believe their party knows what that right thing is.

But when it comes down to scaring voters with inaccurate statements, for me, it is time to change the channel.

What do you think? Why do you think that Romney has not fixed his inaccurate statement about the Jeep plant in Ohio? Do you think he really believes what he is saying, despite the fact that the company has repeatedly assured its workers that this is not the case? Do you think that the fact checking of debates and campaign ads matters and sways public opinion or do you think that the only thing that matters is what is said at the time of the speech? What am I missing here?

Frequent readers of this blog know that I have dedicated Tunes Tuesdays posts between now and the election to songs about politics and social issues. The past month’s Tunes Tuesday’s have been dedicated to this, with songs including, That’s Just the Way It Is, What It’s Like, and Christmastime in Washington.This week, I am reviving a golden oldy that feels as relevant today as when it first came out.

There is no question that the Presidential election is going to hinge on people’s perception of which candidate will be able to improve the economy.

With that in mind, I bring you this week’s Tunes Tuesday pick, 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton. While this may not seem like a political song, it explores the most fundamental issue in the current political discourse.

9 to 5Dolly Parton

Tumble outta bed
And stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
Yawnin’, stretchin’, try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin’
Out on the streets
The traffic starts jumpin’
And folks like me on the job from 9 to 5

Chorus:
Workin’ 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin’
Barely getting’ by
Its all takin’
And no givin’
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It’s enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it

9 to 5, for service and devotion
You would think that I
Would deserve a fair promotion
Want to move ahead
But the boss won’t seem to let me in
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me
Mmmmm…

They let your dream
Just a watch ‘em shatter
You’re just a step
On the boss mans a ladder
But you got dream he’ll never take away

On the same boat
With a lot of your friends
Waitin’ for the day
Your ship’ll come in
And the tides gonna turn
An it’s all gonna roll you away

Workin’ 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin’
Barely getting’ by
Its all takin’
And no givin’
They just use your mind
And you never get the credit
It’s enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it

9 to 5, yeah, they got you where they want you
There’s a better life
And you think that I would daunt you
Its a rich mans game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin’ money in his wallet

Workin 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin
Barely gettin by
Its all takin
And no givin
They just use you mind
And they never give you credit
Its enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it

9 to 5, yeah, they got you where they want you
There’s a better life
And you dream that I would daunt you
It’s a rich man’s game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin’ money in his wallet

What do you think? Do you think the economy is the primary issue in this election? What steps would you take to improve the economy? How do we avoid an economic crisis like we have just gone through in the future?

For today’s Tunes Tuesday, I am highlighting the words of a poignant Bruce Hornsby song.

I promised to focus my Tunes Tuesday posts on political lyrics from now until the election, so this song continues in that vein. This song has always touched me. The most important line in this song is “But don’t you believe them!”

The election is two weeks away. Have you voted?

That’s Just the Way It Is
Bruce Hornsby

Standing in line marking time, waiting for the welfare dime
‘Cause they can’t buy a job
The man in the silk suit hurries by
As he catches the poor old ladies’ eyes just for fun he says, “Get a job”

That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is
But don’t you believe them

They say hey little boy you can’t go where the others go
‘Cause you don’t look like they do
Said hey old man how can you stand to think that way
Did you really think about it before you made the rules, he said, son

That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is
But don’t you believe them

Well they passed a law in ’64
To give those who ain’t got a little more
But it only goes so far because the law don’t change another’s mind
When all it sees at the hiring time is the line on the color bar

That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is
Thats just the way it is, it is, it is, it is

What do you think? What is your favorite political song? (Note: I may feature it for next week’s Tunes Tuesday post!) What is your favorite line from a song which represents your feelings on politics or social issues?

There is an article in the New York Times about whether increased income inequality in the United States will lead to slower economic growth. The article quotes prominent economists and includes some shocking statistics.

According to the article:

Income inequality has soared to the highest levels since the Great Depression, and the recession has done little to reverse the trend, with the top 1 percent of earners taking 93 percent of the income gains in the first full year of the recovery.

The 1 percent earns about one-sixth of all income and the top 10 percent about half.

The I.M.F. (International Monetary Fund) has cautioned the United States, too. “Some dismiss inequality and focus instead on overall growth — arguing, in effect, that a rising tide lifts all boats,” a commentary by fund economists said. “When a handful of yachts become ocean liners while the rest remain lowly canoes, something is seriously amiss.”

I am struck by these statistics, despite the fact that I have heard them before. It makes me wonder what impact these levels of income inequality have on people on both sides of the economic divide.

Our country is sharply divided on many levels and on many issues. An earlier post on this blog discussed the lack of opportunities for interaction between people of different classes, due to what Michael Sandel has labeled the “Skyboxification of America.”

It is much easier for people to act in their own self-interest if they can insulate themselves from people with different backgrounds and experiences. The Skyboxification of America enables people to insulate themselves from people who cannot afford their lifestyle.

But how much money is enough? Some corporate salaries are far beyond what people need to live a comfortable existence. And yet, people continue to strive to make more money and to acquire more things – while people they work with struggle to make ends meet.

Maybe we should all focus more on acquiring more understanding for other people and their needs and struggles instead of on acquiring more wealth.

What do you think? Do you think income inequality in the United States has reached a point where people in leadership positions will have to start taking it seriously? What would that look like? Do you know of any examples of CEOs who have worked on leveling incomes in their companies? What will it take for policymakers and corporations to stand together to make some changes to the policies that lead to income inequality? What opportunities do you see for bringing people together to promote better understanding and cooperation? What role do you think the need to save for retirement plays in this equation?

Copyright JC Politi PhotographySign and blanket found under a bridge in Boulder, Colorado, one of the wealthiest cities in the United States

Tuesday Tunes between now and election day will be focused on political and social issues that are relevant in the Presidential Campaign. This week, I bring you Everlast’s What It’s Like.

What It’s Like
Everlast

We’ve all seen a man at the liquor store beggin’ for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mange
He asks the man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes
“Get a job you f****** slob,” is all he replied
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
‘Cause then you really might know what it’s like to sing the blues

Then you really might know what it’s like (what it’s like) 3x
Then you really might know what it’s like

Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom who said he was in love
He said, “Don’t worry about a thing, baby doll
I’m the man you’ve been dreaming of.”
But 3 months later he say he won’t date her or return her calls
And she swears, “God ****, If find that man I’m cuttin’ off his balls.”
then she heads for the clinic and
she gets some static walking through the door
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner
and they call her a whore
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes
’cause then you really might know what it’s like to have to choose

Then you REALLY might know what its like (what it’s like) 3x
then you really might know what its like

I’ve seen a rich man beg
I’ve seen a good man sin
I’ve seen a tough man cry
I’ve seen a loser win
And a sad man grin
I’ve heard an honest man lie
I’ve seen the good side of bad
And the downside of up
And everything between
I’ve licked the silver spoon
Drank from the golden cup
And smoked the finest green
I’ve stroked the daddies dimes at least a couple of times
before I broke they heart
You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start

this kid named Max
He used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs
He liked to hang out late
get s***-faced and keep the pace with thugs
Until late one night there was a big gun fight and Max lost his head
He pulled out his chrome.45, talked some s***, and wound up dead
Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of this pain
You know it crumbles that way
at least that’s what they say when you play the game
God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news
‘Cause then you really might know what it’s like to have to lose

Then you really might know what it’s like…
Then you really might know what it’s like…
Then you really might know what it’s like…to have to lose.

What do you think? Why do we find it so easy to judge other people and their personal choices? Do you prefer your elected officials to be people who can relate to you or does that not matter to you? Why do we see so many things in black and white instead of recognizing shades of grey?